There are 140 food testing laboratories in the country as per standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Authority Act, 2006 and Rules/ Regulations, 2011 being implemented by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Out of these, 72 food testing laboratories, under state government to carry out analysis of food samples, and 68 private laboratories having accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), are authorized by FSSAI for analysis of food samples. There are 97 food analysts employed in the 72 laboratories under the state government.
During the financial year 2012-13, the minister of state for agriculture and food processing industries, Dr Charan Das Mahant said in the Lok Sabha that the government has spent Rs 721.71 lakh compared to previous year’s Rs 546.49 lakh. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana are some of the states which have benefitted under this scheme.
India has 140 food testing labs
